Trial By Fire
by Northstar1
Summary: PG for mild swearing. A Labyrinth fanfiction...what happens when a apprentice mage wishes her brother away? Chaos for the Labyrinth and Headaches for Jareth!
1. Trial By Fire- Chapter I

# 

Trial By Fire 

  


#### A Forgotten Realms Wizard's Apprentice Meets the Goblin King 

  
By Sailor Northstar  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything involving Labyrinth, thats the property of Henson and company. The AD&D world of Forgotten Realms belongs to TSR, I'm just crossing one of my characters from the RPG with Labyrinth, so that makes this story and the main character mine! Any attempts to sue me will not be any good, as I am a poor college student trying to save her sanity before finals. No money is being made off of this, I'm just having a little fun.   
  
Time Period: I have no idea. All I know is that it is set at least 100 years after Sarah solved the Labyrinth. Of course, I may change this, considering that Jareth reminded me that he is fully capable of playing with time.  
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As dawn's gentle light peeked over the rim of the lonely valley, the grand tower began to glow with an internal light. Known as the Tower of Illumination, it housed the region's most powerful and wise Diviners. Seperated from the rest of the Forgotten Realms, the tower was served only by a small trading village, which was home to those who provided the tower with provisions.  
The inhabitants of the tower, and their apprentices, were known for being the most wise of all diviners in the Forgotten Realms, if you could even manage to make your way to the small settlement. Very few of their mages ventured to the outside world, much less beyond the valley. Days, years, decades, in some cases even centuries, were spent in the accumulation of wisdom and knowledge. Even mere apprentices were involved in the accumulation of knowledge, though they dealt with mundane matters like spying on the local evil humanoids. It was on this day, however, that one apprentice was preparing to become a journeyman, and she had been working on her resesarch project for the last two years.  
_I'm almost done,_ thought Galadrea. Concentrating, the young diviner spoke the final words of the spell that would give her the knowledge of the lower realms. For the last two years of her six-year stay in the tower, Galadrea had been fascinated with the lower realms and planes of existence. Though barred from accessing such knowledge while a mere beginner, she had been allowed by Archmage Talikor to begin her studies in preparation for the tests which would move her out of the apprentice status and into full journeyman status, when she would be allowed to leave the valley, if she so wished.  
Suddenly, the door flew open. "Gala! Congratulations!"  
Startled, Galadrea's concentration broke, and the spell's energy dissipated. Rage such as she had never known coursed through her veins, overpowering the exhaustion such a spell had caused her. Turning around she faced the source of the disturbance.  
"You moron!" she hissed, her voice lowering itself into a threatening whisper. The young man, not more than 12, a newcomer to the tower, blanched as he was speared with Galadrea's venomous gaze. "Do you know how long I have been working on this research? Two years! This spell was vital to my completion of my project and test. Without it, I cannot advance and must wait three whole years to try again! Utter dolt!"  
Backing up, the young man ran up against the wall. "I-I'm sorry, Gala! I di-didn't know! I was just so excited that today was your big day. Y-you are my sister!" By this time, Galadrea was eyeball-to-eyeball with the unfortunate young man.  
"Exactly!" she continued in that deadly quiet voice. "That is the only reason that I am sparing your miserable little existence, Indros." Turning away from the boy violently, eighteen-year old Galadrea stalked back to the center of the workroom. "You are such a pain. Always following me going Gala this and Gala that. What a complete and utter nuisance! If I had known that you were going to be so much trouble to me, I would have never recommended you to Master Talikor." Young Indros was silent, tears running down his face. Utterly silent, he could do nothing but stare as his dearly beloved older sister bent over her worktable and began to weep.   
Hesitantly, the young apprentice approached his sister with an outstretched arm. "Gala, I-I don't know what to say..." he stuttered quietly as Galadrea took a step back from him, exhaustion leaving its marks on her elvish face. The rage came back suddenly as she stared through tears at Indos's innocent face.  
"Indros, I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now! Then I could try to complete my work!" she shouted at the top of her voice, the force of her cry backing her young brother up three paces. Suddenly, the magical lights of the workroom went out, and Indros screamed.  
"GALA!"  


* * * * *

  
  
  
Galadrea Solardin stood before the council of the wise, the ruling triumvirant of archmages that determined procedure for the entire Tower of Illumination. Tears streaming down her face, she related all that had happened that just a few short hours ago. Looking at the faces of the council, Galadrea could tell she was in trouble. Archmage Talikor was gazing at her with an expression of disappointment laced with pity. Archmage Kelesanthina was deep in thought, a frown marring her gentle features, which were known for turning harsh upon learning of a breach of etiquette. The gold elf had little patience for pranks and misconduct. Finally, Galadrea turned her gaze fearfully to Archmage Soldis, her own father. His face, as always, was expressionless. As it should be, since he had never had anything to do with Galadrea, Indros, or their elvish mother. Upon achieving archmage status, he had left his elvish wife and her newborn daughter to reside full time in the Tower. They heard from him rarely. It was he who Galadrea feared the most. Finally, Master Talikor broke the silence.  
"Galadrea Solardin, you stand before us in full knowledge that is was your spell that attracted the attention of a being of the lower realms. You willingly admit that by you own words you wished your only brother, a fellow apprentice, away, and thus admitted to the tower an otherworldly presence which would not have been able to enter otherwise. Is this correct?"  
"It is, Archmage," Galadrea answered tonelessly.  
"Galadrea Solardin, you have accepted full responsibilty for your actions which have resulted in the imperilment of a fellow appprentice. Is this correct?" came the voice of Master Kelesanthina, emotionlessly.  
"It is, Archmage," Galadrea answered again. Twice now, she was condemned.  
"Galadrea Solardin, you have reached the stage of trial for advancement to journeyman status. You were on the verge of completing your research project, and were casting a spell that had been granted to you only because of your superior work thus far. Your inability to keep your concentration resulted in the destruction of your project, which you blamed on Indros Solardin, your fellow apprentice. Such lapses of concentration prove that you are not ready to advance, and the behavior you displayed upon being disturbed were highly inappropriate to your status. Is this correct?" were the harsh words of Master Soldis, his voice merciless and cold.  
"It is, Archmage," Galadrea answered for the third and final time, her face scarlet at the hateful words of her own father, knowing deep in her heart that he spoke the truth. _Had I been fully concentrating, I would not have faltered at my brother's approach_, she silently chastened herself. Upon the return of the lights, her brother was no-where to be found, and there was the presence of an otherworldy being in the workroom, but Galadrea could not spot anything or anyone, yet she was able to feel the disturbance. In horror, she had rushed immediately out and went to find Master Talikor, and now she was standing before the triumvirate, waiting for them to decide her future.  


* * * * *

  
  
Pacing about in her room, Galadrea gathered the last of her personal items. _There is nothing for me to do. They have no choice BUT to banish me. I might as well be ready,_ "But Damn it all to the Abyss, it just isn't fair!" Galadrea screamed to the ceiling.   
"Oh it isn't, is it?" came a soft, slightly amused voice from the air. "Now, where have I heard THAT particular phrase before, hmm?" As Galadrea turned anxiously to find the source of the smug voice, she felt the presence of the unfamiliar magic she had in the workroom.  
"Show yoursef, you miserable bastard!" Galadrea hissed. "Or are you afraid?" Galadrea had had it. She had lost her brother, and probably lost her chance at becoming a diviner. Now this voice and presence had returned to make fun of her? No way in the nine levels of the Abyss was she putting up with it.  
The voice laughed, a sensual sound ringing throughout the small quarters. A storm of glitter blinded her, and a raging wind swept through the room. Covering her eyes, Galadrea searched for a spell of shielding, but was unable to come up with anything. As the wind died down to a chilly breeze, Galadrea uncovered her eyes and found herself staring into a pair of cold, mismatched eyes, set in a lean face which was startlingly handsome. "Well, here I am," he whispered, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Gasping, Galadrea backed up automatically. Then, her voice returned.  
"You miserably son of a bitch!" she said, and swung her fist at the figure dressed all in black. To her surprise, and the surprise of the being in front of her, she connected. A wet sound of fist meeting jaw resounding throughout the room. The being stumbled backwards, his eyes registering shock while his hand felt his jaw.  
Mage and supernatural being stared at each other in shock, different responses flitting through their minds. _ Not possible! If this creature was truly of the lower realms, I shouldn't have been able to touch him. Therefore, he is not of the lower realms!_  
_Who in the name of darkness is this girl? Never before has anyone been able to stand up to me, except for **her** let alone get in a physical attack!_ was the being's thoughts. _This is going to require careful handling..._  
"Well,congratulations my dear," he said, laughing huskily. "No one has ever been able to touch me before. I am truly impressed," the man said, his laughter sliding over Galadrea's mind like a warm, dark blanket.  
Focusing her thoughts, she replied "And I wonder why that is, hmmm?" she said, throwing his tone of voice back at him. SHe was rewarded by seeing his amusement disappear, to be replaced by a cold fury. Suddenly, the figure reached out and threw an object at her. Dodging quickly, throwing herself to the floor, she was confused to see a small crystal sphere connect with the wall, and shatter into tiny pieces which then disappeared.  
"A warning here and now, mage. Don't defy me!" the man warned. Suddenly, he took a step back as a small bolt of flame almost seared his hair.  
"Fair enough. But don't mess with me, either!" Galadrea said, her hands glowing as she prepared another fiery bolt. But evidently, the being had had enough.  
"Hold, mage!" he said, his voice commanding and stern. Intrigued, Galadrea ceased her spell. "Do you even know who I am?" the being asked her, his voice now mild in tone.  
"Personally? I really don't give a damn. I want my brother back. Sure he's a pain, but he didn't deserve what I did to him!" Galadrea spoke, rising and facing the intruder. Facing the man, she realized she was almost as tall as he.  
"I am the Goblin King, but you may call me Jareth, or preferably, Your Majesty. What is your name, girl?" he asked, casually noting that her magical bolt had indeed managed to singe a few hairs. _Yes indeed, I must proceed very carefully with this one._  
Snorting in disdain, Galadrea replied. "King of the Goblins? What kind of title is that? Who would want to be king of those verminous little creatures? And for your information, I am Galadrea Solardin, apprentice diviner, student of Archmage Talikor himself." _Chew on THAT you blonde, handsome devil!_ Vaguely, Galadrea wondered silently where exactly had the term handsome come from. _Though you have to admit, he isn't exactly lacking in the looks department, though it might be an illusion. _  
One eyebrow lifting slightly, Jareth turned away from the mage and summoned another sphere. Turning suddenly, he enlarged it to show a castle situated beyond a city in the center of an enormous labyrinth. "Your brother is there, in my castle, young one. If you had merely awaited, I would have told you this earlier, but no. You had to run to your masters, and see where it has gotten you? On the verge on being kicked out!" Jareth said, false concern and scorn lacing his voice. "Oh, poor little Galadrea. What a pity you couldn't hold your temper, isn't it? Thank-you for wishing your brother away. Now I can enter this protected tower whenever I please," he tormented her, grinning a startingly feral grin. Horrified, Galadrea noticed that he had fangs and backed up.  
"What's going to happen to Indros?" she asked quietly.   
Negligently, the Goblin King replied to her question. "Oh, he'll be turned into a goblin, and become one of my servants. He's a little old, so he may not survive the transformation," the fiend replied, letting boredom inch into his voice. "Unless..."  
Galadrea knew a goad when she heard one. Though it angered her to answer, she did. "Unless what, you bastard?" she gritted out. Jareth narrowed his eyes and smirked. So, she had a temper. That would be very useful indeed. _And a nasty right hook, lets not forget_ he thought, hiding his testing of his jaw behind a yawn.  
"Unless you accept my challenge and win, of course," the king replied. If this worked, not only would he snag the brother, but he would gain the abilities of a diviner also. Yes, how fortunate her spell had backfired.  
Tiring of Jareth's little verbal games, Galadrea decided to put an end to them. "Okay, what do I have to do to get him back?" Jareth appeared startled.  
_What? No pleading, no tears? This isn't going like I planned at all!_ he thought, slightly concerned. Unlike the last girl, he could not predict this one's actions. _Then again, how many times have you approached a mage before, huh?_ "It's quite simple, my dear Gala!" With a false cheer in his voice, he gestured and the small room faded from view. Stumbling slightly, Galadrea reeled from the vertigo. A supporting hand kept her from falling headfirst down the barren hill.  
Jerking herself away from the Goblin King's touch, Galadrea spun to face him. "You insufferable--" but she was stopped as she saw a clock fade into view.  
"My dear, you have thirteen hours to find your way through my labyrinth and get to the castle. If you don't, your brother becomes one of my minions, and you become my servant. Should you succeed, you and your brother go free, and the Archmages need never know anything that has happened." Stopping, the King examined her face to see the effect of his words on her, but she had turned and was examining the labyrinth carefully.  
"I accept the challenge, Jareth" Galadrea said, catching him off guard with her casual use of his name. "We'll see who has the last laugh!" And with that she turned her back, readjusted the small bag that carried her spellbook in it, and set off down the hill. Jareth was left at the top, open-mouthed in shock at her abruptness. He had expected at least a little whining, but no. She had accepted the challenge, and issued one of her own.   
_No, things are not going as I planned. Not one little bit...__  


[Onward to Chaper 2!][1]  
[This is horrible! Let's go back to Nancy's Rooms.][2]

  
_

   [1]: Trial2.htm
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/sailornorthstar2002/My_Private_Chambers.html



	2. Trial By Fire- Chapter II

# Trial By Fire

  


### Chapter II

  
By Sailor Northstar

  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth or its characters. The characters of Galadrea and Indros and the archmages are mine. Labyrinth is owned by Henson and co. This story idea is mine, though. This story has been created to keep me sane while finals are going on. Suing me will do no good, as I am a poor college student on the verge of going nuts. HAve a nice day, and enjoy my story!  


* * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
If there had been anyone around, they would have heard various yelps followed by slight groaning. Muttering several orcish swear words under her breath, Galadrea slowly stood up from where she had fallen. Looking over her shoulder, she winced and rubbed her left arm. That had NOT been a comfortable trip down the hill. _I wouldn't be surprised if his Royal Pain-in-the-Ass had deliberately made the footing treacherous. Just another thing to pay the bastard back for,_ she thought, dusting herself off as she approached the huge walls of Jareth's labyrinth.  
"Hello? Anyone here?" Galadrea called out, searching for a sign of life. Her own melodic voice answered her as it rebounded from the forbidding walls and leapt across the desert-like landscape. Out of the corner of her eye, a flicker of motion attracted her attention. Peering closely, Galadrea was astonished to see a tiny fairy-like creature emerge from the blooming flower. "Um, excuse me?"  
The little creature looked up in shock. "Are you talking to me?" she asked in a tiny voice that resembled windchimes.  
"Yes I am," Galadrea answered. "I am on a mission to save my brother, who is trapped in the Goblin King's castle at the center of the Labyrinth. Can you offer me any aid in my quest?" If this fairy was anything like the ones on Toril, then she was a creature of goodness, and not adverse to helping those of good elvish blood.  
Appearing to concentrate, the little fairy frowned, then her eyes lit up. _These abovegrounders are always good for a laugh. This should be fun!_ "I do know some things about this huge place. I'd be happy to help you!" Grinning at the big person's astonishment, Gria fluttered up and over to a section of the wall. "This way, miss!"  
Examining the section of the wall Gria was gesturing at, Galadrea was able to make out a dim outline of what could possibly be a huge gateway. Pushing against the door, Galadrea found that she could not open it. "I can't open it! Is it locked, good fairy?"  
Gria answered with tiny peals of laughter. Waiting patiently, Galadrea let the litte creature calm down. "Oh my! Locked is it? Ooops! Guess I forgot about that! Of course, size and strength are the only things that matter to you big folk! You'll never get in!" As Galadrea's face turned red, Gria exploded into even more furious peals of laughter and fluttered off.  
"Thanks for nothing, orc-bait!" Galadrea shouted at the dwindling fairy. Turning once again to face the gateway, Galadrea thought about using a spell. Calming herself, taking deep breathes, she began summoning the energies of a spell of opening. As she concentrated, the words flowed out of her mouth, and her hands moved in the direction of the gateway, as if shoving something open. Slowly, the gates creaked open as blue tendrils of energy wove themselves between the cracks. The walls of the labyrinth groaned as the gates were forced open.  
Gasping from the exertion, Galadrea stumbled through the opening and collapsed against the far wall. Instead of leaning against solid stone, she found herself falling backwards. As she lay on the floor of the labyrinth, she gasped for breath and took in her surroundings. "By Mystra, it appears that I found a secret opening. I think that this once, I'm glad a spell exhausted me. I don't think I would have found the opening otherwise!"  
Using the stone wall for support, Galadrea managed to stand up, though she groaned as she felt the muscle she had stretched in her graceful tumble down the hill protest the treatment she was giving it. After a few minutes of exhaustion, Galadrea found herself able to move again, and she closely examined her surroundings. The walls were quite tall, and smooth so that climbing over them was out of the question. Down each side of the corridor were various exits and turns, and as she looked up, she was able to catch a glimpse of a castle far removed from her position. "That's got to be the castle!" she exclaimed, a surge of adrenalin pumping through her veins, dispersing the last of the spell-induced exhaustion. With a grin, she strode purposefully down the corridor, taking the first left she came to...  
And found herself back exactly where she had first collapsed. "What the hell..?" she began to say, until she realized that swearing would do her no good. _But at least it makes me feel better! Well, lets try the other way._ As she took off in the opposite direction, she took the second right corridor, and once again found herself at her former position. "Damn!" she muttered. Obviously the labyrinth had a confusion spell placed on it that disrupted the normal dimensions. Groaning at the realization, she sank down a opened her satchel, taking out her precious spell book. Rifling through it, she looked feverishly for a spell to help her out of the loop she had gotten stuck in.  
So intent was Galadrea in her studies that she didn't even notice when a shadow cast itself over her. "And now what's this?" said a tremulous voice, and suddenly the book was jerked from her hands.   
"Well well! Lookit this! A genuine spellbook! This'll fetch a pretty price in the market!" Suddenly, the creature went down, tackled by a very, _very_ angry Galadrea.   
"Give me back my spell book, you thief!" she said, yanking her book out of the surprised creature's hands. Standing up, she took several steps back and observed the creature that had disturbed her. An old man, gnomish looking, picked itself up. As it did, Galadrea was startled to realize that the feathered had she had taken it for was in reality a creature that grew out of the top of the old gnome's head. It was the bird's head that spoke.  
"Hey, you didn't have to be so grabby! We just wanted to look at it! You take things way to seriously, and you jump to conclusions! Lighten up, kiddo, or you'll kill youself," said the head in a crackly voice. A groan issued from the gnomish mouth below the bird, and the eyes began to uncross. The bird spoke again."Well, come on! Get it together old man!"  
"Will you be quiet?!" the old gnome hissed at the bird. "It wasn't you that got tackled, was it?" Wheezing, the gnome tried to stand up. Feeling a sudden remorse for her actions, Galadrea went over and lent the wizened whatever-it-was her arm and assisted it to stand.  
"I'm so sorry, sir. You'll have to excuse me, but I'm on a quest that may be a matter of life or death! That book is my only weapon against the creature that has taken my brother!" she explained, putting the tome back into her leather satchel.  
"Oh my. Think nothing of it child!" said the old gnome, while the birdhead made a squawk of protest. "Now, who is it that has taken your brother?"  
"What does it matter?! She doesn't deserve any help, the little brat!" Birdhead exclaimed, before letting out another squawk as the old gnome reached up and hit it.  
Trying hard not to giggle, Galadrea explained her situation. "Yes, Jareth is a rather arrogant bastard, isn't he?" the old gnome replied, after Gala had finished her story. "Birdbrain and I would dearly love to see the little snot get back some of what he's been dishing out for centuries! Consider us at your service, child. I am Hashwit, and this is rude creature growing from me is Birdbrain." Suddenly the old man winked and leaned towards Gala and whispered. "You'll have to excuse him, but he's a little crabby. Woke up on the wrong side of the brain this morning, eh what?" With that the little man began to laugh wheezingly, and Galadrea's mouth fell open. _What have I gotten myself in to? First a rude little pixie, now a senile gnome with a bird growing out of his head that has a pathetic sense of humor. What next?_ she thought as she wearily followed the old creature deeper into the labyrinth.  
  


* * * * * * * * *

  
Galadrea wasn't the only one having trouble. In the castle of the Goblin King, various shouts rang out, accompanied by several loud crashes. Normally this wouldn't be anything unusual, except for the fact that the crashes were punctuated by rather vicious swearing.  
"Get down from there boy, before I seal you in a crystal for eternity, and the rules be damned!" Jareth shouted as he shook his fist at Indros, who was grinning nastily while sitting on the edge of a balcony railing, looking down at the throneroom.   
"Oooh, scary! I bet you frighten a lot of goblins with THAT line, _you majesty_!" the boy taunted, before shoving a small goblin off the balcony rail. A piteous wail followed a solid thunk let Indros know that the little creature had landed hard on the throneroom floor.   
Suddenly, a gloved hand wrapped itself around Indros's arm and squeezed, hard. With a vicious jerk, the Goblin King yanked Indros off the rail and back onto the balcony. Rage suffused Jareth's face as he hauled the young man down the stairs. With a snarl, he threw Indros into the throne and tossed a crystal sphere after him. Indros suddenly found himself bound to the throne, unable to twitch even a muscle. Leaning close, the Goblin King spoke. "You are going to sit there and be quiet, or I will stuff a gag in your mouth and throw you into the Escher room and let you starve. You have been nothing but trouble since I brought you here. Not only have you ruined a good many of my possessions in the short time I let you go unbound, but you have managed to cause enough havok for an entire goblin army. Enough is enough!" he fairly shouted, having started off in a soft hiss. Indros merely smirked, which enraged Jareth even more. With a viscious oath, Jareth left the throne room without any other reply.  
As he stormed through the halls of his castle, Jareth's boots beat a staccato tempo that sent all goblins in his path into hiding. However, the King of the Goblins paid no attention to any of them, so lost in rage as he was. _Nothing is going right. First, the girl challenges me, now the boy has become the fiend from hell._ Flinging open the door to his private chambers, Jareth deposited himself into a high-backed, well padded black leather chair. Groaning, he laid his head back and closed his eyes to enjoy the brief quiet. Unfortunately, the peace was shortlived as a goblin guard came rushing in.  
"My lord! My lord!" the creature cried, and Jareth stood to face the tiny being, his face cold and void of any emotion.  
"Well? Speak!" he snapped commandingly, feeling some satisfaction as the little goblin cowered. Then his satisfaction faded. The only reason he would have been disturbed is if something drastic was happening in the labyrinth. The only outsider in the labyrinth though was..._Oh bloody hell! What's has Galadrea done now?!_  
"Y-y-yer m-m-m-majesty, the gates to the labyrinth...they're...they're..."the little goblin couldn't finish his sentence, and suddenly his king stormed past and disappeared from view. Wiping his little head of sweat, the poor creature was only too glad that it wasn't him that was going to get it for breaking the front gates...  


* * * * *

  
And speaking of the front gates, they were a mess. Jareth stood there, his eyes wide open, and his jaw slightly dropped. Running his hands carefully over the hidden hinges, he felt the slight remnant of foreign magic. "I don't believe it, I just simply don't believe it!" he muttered, knowing that only one person could have managed such a feat. The king's mismatched eyes narrowed as he silently re-evaluated his opinion of the young mage.  
"I think it's time I had a word with the temperamental Galadrea..."  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  
_What a stroke of luck!_ Galadrea thought as she realized that even though Hashwit and Birdbrain were very annoying, they were amazingly helpful. In three hours, she had made more progress than she would have thought possible. Unfortunately, she had had to listen to their interminable squabling over every minor turn and junction in their path. Suddenly, Galadrea was brought back to reality as she realized that her guides had stopped talking. Looking back over her shoulder, she kept walking.  
"What's wrong, you two? Let's hurry, we don't have much--OOF!" she suddenly exclaimed as she walked smack into another person. Rebounding, she found herself sitting on the ground, and looking up, she suddenly realized exactly who it was she had run in to. "Oh look, its the insufferable bastard himself!" were the first words out of her mouth.  
Jareth's cold gaze fastened on Galadrea. "You destroyed the front gates," he stated tonelessly. Galadrea smirked. She had been wondering when Jareth would notice the damage she had inflicted on his precious labyrinth. Unfortunately, smirking was not the best thing for her to have done. Before she could even move, Jareth had knelt down and was staring her directly in the face. "You may think this is funny, young lady, but I am not amused!" he whispered, bringing his head closer to hers.  
Gazing into his eyes, Galadrea felt her will weakening and she barely resisted the urge to crawl backwards away from his presence. _He is way to close to me! I wonder if he has any idea what this is doing to my mental state?_ Gala thought, her mind flashing back to her first impressions of his appearance. Though it made her uncomfortable, she couldn't deny that the man was attractive. "Oh really, Jareth? I think it's VERY amusing, and for your information, the labyrinth is pathetically easy to solve," she whispered back. Then, he smiled. Not a genuine smile, but a cold one. Rising, he took a step back from her, the air violently rushing to fill the void he had seemed to leave behind.  
"Pathetically easy, is it? Well, maybe I should highten the danger level a bit, and deprive you of your ever-so-helpful guide, hmm?" he said, casting a scornful look over at the old gnome, who stared right back.   
To Jareth's consternation, Galadrea smiled. "Do your worst, Jareth," she said, smiling as he winced at her casual use of his name. "I can promise you that the more dangerous you make it, the more damage I will do."  
Jareth's grin dropped suddenly. Galadrea irrationally compared it to a torch. On, bright and deadly. Off, cold and deadly. "Let's just test that, shall we?" he replied, and then as he gestured, the stone dropped out from under her.  
  


[Take the plunge into chapter 3?][1]  
[You kidding? I'm not following her down there!][2]

   [1]: Trial3.htm
   [2]: My_Private_Chambers.htm



	3. Trial By Fire- Chapter III

# Trial By Fire

####   
Chapter III  


By Sailor Northstar 

Disclaimer: Okay, if you are this far, you know the story is mine. Galadrea, Indros, and various mages are mine. Labyrinth is property of Henson and co. Enjoy!   


* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
Jareth stood smiling at the quiet as the hole closed behind Galadrea. Turning, the Goblin King fixed his gaze on the girl's so-called guides. "And what were you two doing, eh?" he spoke, his voice carrying with it several different threats, though it remained mild in tone. Hashwit fidgited despite himself.  
"Er-well, we were helping the girl--"the old gnome began, only to be cut off by Birdbrain.  
"No we weren't! YOU were helping her, I told you not too. You see your majesty, he just doesn't listen to me and-" Birdbrain was cut off by the King's arctic voice.  
"SILENCE! Both of you. The only reason the two of you are NOT in the Bog of Eternal Stench right now is the fact that I need you to tell me exactly what you know about the girl's powers. Now, start talking," Jareth commanded. Leaning up against one of the labyrinth's walls, Jareth awaited the old creature's answer.  
With a deep sigh, Hashwit gave it up as a bad job. No way was he getting out of this one, so he might as well tell the King what he wanted to know. "She is not just an apprentice mage, milord. As you know, she is a student in the Tower of Illumination, specializing in divination. However, she told me that not only is she specializing in divination, she also has quite an extensive repertoire of offensive spells," Hashwit replied, stopping to catch his breath. Birdbrain continued for him.  
"From what she told the old geezer down there, her attack magic ranges from simple fire streams to lightning attacks and fire spells, the more destructive the better. She should have been given the test 2 years ago, but held back because she was unable to complete the assignment," the feathered creature informed Jareth. The silence that followed was profound. Neither Hashwit or Birdbrain wanted to see the look on Jareth's face, so they stood there, staring at the floor of the maze. As the silence dragged on, Hashwit and Birdbrain risked glances up. The Goblin King was nowhere to be found.  


* * * * *

  
Dark would have been an understatement for the condition of the place Galadrea found herself. Picking herself up, Galadrea blindly reached out until her hands came in contact with what felt like a wall. Following the wall, she found herself appearing to have gone in a circle. Fumbling, she reached into her satchel and pulled out the small dagger she kept for emergencies. Muttering to herself, Galadrea once again focused her mind and called for the power. "Selune triuta, g'lor te lumos," she spoke in the language of magic, and a soft radiance began to fill the room, emanating from her dagger.  
"Good thing I had a continual light spell left over from last night," she said aloud, allowing her eyes to become adjusted to the new light level. In the meantime, she decided to do some exploring. Not there was much to explore. She was in a single room, about twice the size of her room back at the tower. A low bench leaned against one wall, and an old skeleton was piled in another corner. _Charming, I really MUST get the name of Jareth's decorator,_ she thought in disgust, her nose crinkling up just like a rabbit's. There were no doors that she could see, which caused her to wonder, "Is this another one of his royal lowness's puzzles? If so, its not much of one."  
Grinning a feral, smug grin, Galadrea opened her spellbook. Before she could flip through it, though, she felt something brush against her boot. Looking down, her stomach began to cramp up. A small crystal sphere was slowly rolling towards the pile of bones. As she watched, the sphere disappeared into the old heap of rags and bones. Sighing, she put away her spell book and slowly started clapping. "Bravo, Goblin King. Can you be any more melodramatic?"  
"And here I was hoping to make an impression on your impudent little mind," came a coldly sarcastic voice. The heap of bones and rags was tossed aside, and there stood the the Goblin King himself. Instead of the all black ensemble he had been wearing earlier, he was now wearing brown tights, a white ruffled shirt open to the waist, and a tight black vest. Casually thrown over his arm was a dark brown leather coat, and black boots encased his legs up to the knee. _All in all, I think I preferred him in all black,_ came the nasty, rebellious part of her mind that Galadrea tried to keep locked away. Unfortunately, the minute a handsome male came along, it started voicing its own opinions.  
"Well, I'm sorry, Jareth," she replied, her voice oozing insincere apology. "But I don't impress easily." She smiled slowly and leaned against the wall, just as she had seen him do earlier, making sure she was a perfect mockery of himself. ELvish blood certainly had it's benefits. _Let's see how far he can be pushed..._  
Jareth was beyond furious, though he didn't show it except by allowing those tiny little fangs of his show in his smile. He'd be damned if he was going to show the little brat that she was getting to him. Her mockery of him, though, only made it harder to ignore. "Oh really? Well, then, I guess if I can't impress you, I'll have to settle for confusing you," he replied softly, coming closer to her with every word he spoke. It took all of her strength not to shrink away from him. "My dear, play time's over," he whispered gently, and with a strike quick as a snake, he snatched her satchel away from her. Before she could bring her dagger up, he was across the room, studying the wall, her satchel with her spellbook dangling carelessly from one of his white-gloved hands.  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?! That's mine!" Galadrea shouted, her voice ringing and echoing back upon itself in the confined space. Jareth didn't answer her. In his empty right hand, another of those damn crystal spheres appeared, and Galadrea watched in confusion as he threw it into the wall. Turing back to her, he grinned and gestured to the nine doors that now lined the walls of the oubliette.  
"My dear, dear Gala, your brother is being a terrible pain in the ass. I can now see that it runs in the family. My patience with the two of you is wearing thin, so I'm altering the rules," he said, and in his hand a miniature version of the thirteen-hour clock appeared. The hands currently depicted that she was in her 5th hour, but as she watched to her horror, the hands rotated quickly until they rested on the 9th hour. Galadrea was speachless.  
"Now, one of these nine doors leads to the castle, three of them lead halfway through the rest of the labyrinth, and the other five lead to the beginning of the my Labyrinth," he explained, and as Galadrea opened her mouth to speak, he reached out and laid a gloved finger across her lips. "Now, the only catch is that you must make do with the spells you have left in your memory. No more consulting your notes, after all," he said, removing his finger, "this isn't an open book exam. IF you solve the labyrinth, I'll give you everything back again. How's that?"  
Jareth stepped back to watch her expressions, which quickly ran the entire field from confusion, to startlement, to anger, to outrage, and finally back to confusion. _Time for payback, little one._  
"Jareth," Galadrea finally said quietly, "I swear that you shall pay for what you have done, do you understand me? I don't care if it takes me decades, I will eventually amass enough power, and when I do, I will come back and level this place to the ground." Reaching out, she gently rested her hand on the Goblin King's breast. As he raised his eyebrows at her action, she gave him a violent shove, sending him to the floor. Blinking in surprise, Jareth was a few moments in recovering. When he did, he found that now it was HE that was confused. How the hell did she keep doing that? _It's impossible to predict her. What is wrong with me? I should have no problem sensing what she's going to do next. What makes HER so different? Not even Sarah was this much trouble..._  
Grimacing, he stood up and dusted himself off. "Honestly, I think you are bluffing, dear child. Cherish the four hours of freedom that you have left," and then he was gone. Galadrea looked around at the doors. They were all of different colors: Red, Blue, Green, Black, White, Silver, Gold, Bronze, and Grey.  
"Okay you bastard, you're not as smart as you think!" she said triumphantly, noticing a pattern to all of the doors. After all, the lower realms had been her area of study for the past four years. "The nine doors represent the nine levels of the Abyss. The colors, on the other hand, represent the dragons. The five chromatic colors represent the evil dragons, so those must lead back to the beginning. Gold, Silver, and Bronze are the colors of the noblest of the good dragons. But grey, I just don't get. The metallic doors definitely lead to a point further on in the labyrinth, so that means that this gray one leads to the castle. Or do they?"  
Sitting in the middle of the room, Galadrea rethought her conclusion. _It would be typical for Jareth to represent himself with one of the noble metallic colors though, his ego is certainly large enough, yet he takes pleasure in being both bad and cunning. The most cunning of the evil dragons are the Reds and Blues, yet, for some reason, I just can't see him identifying himself with the greedy creatures that thrive on bloodshed and carnage. They lack finesse, which Jareth seems to pride himself on. Yet, it seems to easy to choose the grey door. It's so stereotypical, or maybe that's the trick.  
_ "That's got to be it! Hidden in plain sight, among many facets of his personality. All combined into one, yet giving no permanent significance to any," Galadrea triumphantly exclaimed. Rising, she moved confidently to the gray door. Tugging at it, for the door did not seem to want to open, Galadrea dug her heals in. Slowly, inch by inch, the door opened, revealing absolute darkness beyond. Grinning, she held her enspelled dagger out in front of her and stepped into the void...  
  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
  


[Wow! What happens next?][1]   
[ Enough's enough. Let's go to the ballroom and party!][2]

   [1]: Trial4.htm
   [2]: http://www.geocities.com/delia_ironhand99/BallRoom.html



	4. Trial By Fire- Chapter IV

# 

Trial By Fire

  


#### Chapter IV

  
By Sailor Northstar   
Disclaimer: Ah hell! You guys know the drill. The only thing I own is the story and my characters. Everything else belongs to somebody other than me. And guess what? I'm not to be held liable because you went out of your minds wandering what Galadrea and Indros are going to do next! *Insane cackling* On with the story!  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
A hideous stench assaulted her delicate sense of smell. Quickly clapping her hand over her nose and mouth, Galadrea looked around. Behind her, she heard the slamming of a door. Turning around, her dagger at the ready, she found no trace of the gray door. This most certainly was not Jareth's castle, however.  
"Damn! It WAS to obvious after all. With that ego of his, he probably had chosen gold to represent himself," she muttered. Big mistake! As soon as she had opened her mouth, the stink had entered. Galadrea spent the next few minutes tossing up her last meal, plus the meal before it. Finally, Galadrea pulled herself together. _Thank goodness for human constitution! If I was a pureblood, I'd still be tossing chunks_ she thought gratefully as she started down what looked to be a path. Ripping off a piece of her robe, she wrapped it around her nose and mouth. At least it muffled the smell somewhat...  
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but which her inner time sense had told her could only have been a half-hour at the most, of carefully dodging the nastily sputtering wet spots, Galadrea soon found herself before the remains of a bridge. It looked as if someone had recently tried to repair it, but had then given it up for a lost cause. Curious, Galadrea stepped closer to examine the rubble. However, as she was examining the bridge, someone else was examining her...  


* * * * * * * * 

  
"Oops. Looks like you chose...poorely, my dear," the Goblin King said, snickering slightly. From behind him came an indignant gargle. Turning from the scrying crystal, he addressed the origin of the noise. "Did you say something, Indros?" he asked mockingly. All that he was rewarded with was a glare.  
"Oh, I forgot. I gagged you. Would you like to see your sister? She's quite stuck at the moment, you know. I don't think she'll make it in time to save you. So much for depending on your family, hmm?" Jareth taunted. Carefully, the king held out the crystal so that the young man could see all that was transpiring. When Indros looked up, he began to make almost intelligible sounds, which left no room for misunderstanding.  
"I say," whispered one of the goblins, "is that even physically possible?" They watched as their king reached out and tightened the gag on the prisoner.  
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Jareth said, chuckling as he turned his gaze back to the crystal.  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

  
Galadrea suddenly straigtened. _Someone's watching me!_ she thought, her hair on the back of her neck standing up. _Hmmm, I bet it's his royal bastardness. Let's see what I can do about that, eh?_ she thought, a small grin tugging at her mouth. Reaching into the front of her robe, Galadrea brought out a small, tightly sealed pouch. Opening it carefully, she removed a small, minute pinch of low-grade powdered diamond. Shutting the pouch, she replaced it back into the hidden pocket in her robes.  
As she held out her hand, she began to mutter a series of words, unintelligable to those not trained in magic. As she reached the climax of the spell, she tossed the diamond dust into the air, and as it floated on the breeze, the spell went into action. The difference was immediately felt. Breathing a sigh of relief, Galadrea turned back to the problem of the bridge. After all, it wouldn't be good for Jareth to see what she was afraid she'd have to do...  
_I really hate having to waste a major Flight spell on a little obstacle like this, though..._  


* * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
The King of the Goblins was furious to say the least. Indros felt a surge of pride at the thought that his sister was powerful enough to block the magical sight of the ruler of the labyrinth. It was all he could do to not choke on the gag as his amusement hightened when Jareth violently threw the scrying crystal into the floor. _Gala, you sure know how to push people's limits, don't you?_ Indros thought, then he began to take mental notes. Some of Jareth's curses were very graphic, and were mostly ones that Indros didn't know...  


* * * * * * * * * *

  
For the first time since arriving in the Labyrinth, Galadrea was at peace. The cool rushing of the wind as she magically glided over the treetops was quite refreshing, and cleared the last traces of the bog from her nostrils. After about ten minutes, she felt the force begin to weaken, and reluctantly landed. _Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. And I'm much closer to the castle now, too,_ she though, as she touched down onto a barren plain. Far across it, in the distance, she could see the hill with the goblin city and the castle beyond it.  
As far as she could detect, her non-detection spell was still functioning. She was sure that if the Goblin King was really trying, he would be able to see through it. _But I doubt it. He's just arrogant enough that he'll be stark raving mad that I thwarted his sight, and he won't be able to concetrate for a while in order to break through. By my estimation, and from what I've seen of him, I should have about another hour of peace and quiet._  
Pausing a moment, Galadrea gathered her thoughts on the spells she had left. "Hmmm. One changeself, clairvoyance, darkness, detect thoughts, two fireball, and one locate creature. Not much, but better than nothing. I'll just have to be very quiet when I go in," she muttered aloud. Groaning, Galadrea began her hike across the wasteland.  
Three hours later, a very hot, very thirsty, and very tired mage stood before the gates to the goblin city. Surprisingly, she still felt her spell in action. _Hmmm, the Royal Ass must have been more angry than I thought. And what a cute ass it is too!_ came the naughty little voice of her subconciousness. Closing her eyes, Galadrea mentally took the little voice, and violently stuffed it back into the hole it had crawled out of. _Quiet you! I need to concentrate. We can drool AFTER we rescue Indros._  
Hiding behind a junk pile, Galadrea began to weave the first of her remaining spells. A minute later, a short goblin walked up to the guards and demanded entrance.  
"Eh, what do yoos want?" the guard grumbled, having been woken up from a very nice dream that involved lots of food and beer.  
"I gots to get in. I's meeting a few of the guys for drinks," Galadrea replied, lowering her voice and growling a bit. The result was a hoarse-sounding medium-sized goblin. The other guard looked over.  
"Aws, lets him ins, Gris, I wans ta go backs to sleep!"  
Grumbling about what a sucky job gate duty was, Gris let the disguised Gala through the gates. As the doors closed behind her, she let the spell drop. _What a pigsty!_ she mentally exclaimed, looking upon a city of tumble-down building that made the slums of Waterdeep look majestic by comparison. Glancing around, she pulled the hood of her cloak up around her face and slipped into a dark alleyway.  
Dodging piles of garbage and streams of sewage, Galadrea concentrated on making her way to the Goblin King's castle. Suddenly, the alleyway she was in ended. A group of goblins piled out of a run-down tavern (which was the only comparison that Galadrea could make to the rickety, wattle-and-daub shack). Unfortunately, the drunked creatures noticed her.  
"HUMAN!" they all began to screech, drawing attention from all sides. Goblins hung out of windows, wondering what all the fuss was about. Others that looked like rodents peeked up out of decaying barrels and piles of garbage. All were staring at her, however.  
"Oh shit!" Galadrea muttered, and took off straight into the drunken group. Startled, they fell over themselves and before they could even whine, she was past them. All around her cries of alarm were being raised. It was then she felt the return of something watching her. _Took him long enough!_ she mentally grimaced, not entirely pleased. Splashing through puddles of sewage, Galadrea ran for her life. Behind her, a patrol of goblins had taken pursuit, screaming insanities at the foolish human that had dared enter their city. Just as she began to outpace them, though, a metal-clad creature appeared out of another side-street to block her way.  
"READY! AIM! FIRE!" was all the warning that Galadrea had. Diving forward, she barely dodged the metal projectile that went through the space her head had just been. Luckily, she saw the thing take down a good many of her pursuers. Scrabbling to her feet, she ran forward and lept over the metal weapon. Coming down on top of it, she leapt again, which overturned the creature and slowed down even more of her enemies.  
Finally, after another hour of playing hide-and-seek with Jareth's forces, Galadrea made it to the castle. She only had one fireball spell left, having exhausted the others in order to avoid notice and figure out her way through the ramshackle city. Racing as best she could up the stairs, dodging arrows and nasty metal projectiles, she finally reached the top. The main entrance was deserted and Galadrea was proud of herself. She had been so much trouble that Jareth had sent his entire force after her! Turning to her pursuers, she called forth the power for her last spell.  
"Inflamous pyro aerosphus!" she shouted, releasing a flaming ball of death which managed to fry a good many of the guards. The others ran back down, not wanting to feel the force of perhaps another fiery death. Turning back to the gates, she pushed hard to find them easily opened. The Castle stood open to her. Now all she had to do was find Jareth and reclaim her brother.  
_Not bad! I still have half-an-hour to spare, too!_ "JARETH! GIVE ME BACK INDROS OR DIE!!"  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
[Let's go get that rat that calls itself Jareth!][1]  
[Uh, you go on ahead. I'll be back in Nancy's room looking at the nice swords!][2]  


   [1]: Trial5.htm
   [2]: My_Private_Chambers.html



	5. Trial By Fire- Chapter V

# Trial By Fire

  


#### Chapter V

  
By Sailor Northstar  


Disclaimer: Okay people, standard disclaimer. The story's mine, and the characters, except for those from the movie, are mine. Everything else belongs to Henson and co. Enjoy.  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  
"JARETH! GIVE ME BACK INDROS OR DIE!"  
Nothing could have said it better than those words just how annoyed Galadrea was. Jareth heard those words echo throughout his castle, and for the first time, he was more than a little apprehensive. Briefly, his mind passed over the various options left open to him. _Running for the hills is a good one!_ came a nasty little voice that sounded suspiciously like himself. Closing his eyes, The King of the Goblins then remembered exactly why he never went up against mages of any type. While sounds of destruction echoed through the castle, Jareth put his last-ditch plans into motion. Of course, with the distraction provided by his beloved elder sister, Indros had no problem finishing extricating himself from the bonds.  
_While J's busy with Gala, I think I should take the opportunity for a little payback._ Grinning, Indros silently raced into the Escher room, not knowing that that was exactly what Jareth had planned.  


* * * * * * * * * * 

  
Striding purposefully through the abandoned corridors of the Goblin Castle, Galadrea went out of her way to damage anything that looked in the least bit valuable. Steadily making her way to the throne room, she allowed just the barest hint of triumph to linger in her laughter. Of course, Jareth had used such to his advantage for hundreds of years. Arrogance similar to his own was always _so_ easy to manipulate.  
"Come out, come out wherever you are, Goblin King!" Galadrea taunted, cheerfully causing as much havoc as she could. Finally, she found herself before a pair of well-ornamented doors. _Found you, you conceited jerk!_ she thought as she barged through the golden portal...  
_...and into a world of mist and mirrors. All around her, like a dream, figures came and went. Here one minute, gone the next. The whiteness of it all was very intimidating. Every angle she looked at reflected her own face, pale and nervous. The feeling of a hand on her shoulder made her spin around, but nothing was there. Her courage and feeling of triumph ebbing, Galadrea drew her glowing dagger. Brandishing it, she rushed at one of the mirrors. The mirror shattered, only to have one directly underneath. Unlike the first, this one showed a warped, ugly reflection.  
Backing up in horror, she heard phantom voices all around her, laughing. Turning, she stumbled back the way she had come, only the golden doors were no-where to be seen. Frantically, she searched for others in the mist, but everytime she found someone, they faded away, leaving her to face another mirror which reflected a warped version of herself. It was then the voices began. First one, then more joined in.  
"Hmph. She'll never amount to much. Half-breeds never do!" spoke an elvish voice. *Oh Mystra, that was my mother's brother! Please, lady of Magic, not again.*  
"Your father had hoped for a first-born son. That's why he left, girl!" *Oh gods, mother please, don't hate me!*  
"Pathetic. Her own father an archmage, and he won't even look at her."  
"That's the only reason she got into the tower, you know. Riding on the hem of her daddy's robes!"  
On and on they went, then it got worse. A figure dressed in the regal robes of an archmage approached. "Pathetic! Cowed by simple voices? You are no child of mine!" came his harsh baritone, the same that had condemned her at the triumvirate.  
Sinking to the ground, Galadrea dropped her dagger and began to sob. All around her, her reflections stared at her, laughing in horrid silence. The voices joined in, and Galadrea began to sob. "It's not my fault! I didn't ask to be born! Father, why do you hate me and Indros so much? I'm a good student, I got in on my own merit! I'm not a failure!" she screamed. The laughter got louder, and the figure of her father joined in.  
"Of course you're not a failure, my dear," a soft, gentle voice whispered into her ear. "A father like that doesn't deserve to have as brilliant a child as you." The robed figure backed away, a strange look on his face. All around her, the voices quieted. Slowly, Galadrea looked over at the face of the one who had made the voices stop. A gorgeous pair of mismatched eyes reguarded her with respect and sympathy. A gloved hand reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face.  
"No more crying, eh?" he said, a small smile tugging at his mouth. Galadrea felt that same smile tug at her heart. Nodding, she took his offered hand. Swiftly, he pulled her to her feet. Whispy blond hair framed his angular, lean face. Garbed in a white tunic open to the waist and black tights with black boots, the man was the perfect picture of gallantry. For some reason, Gala felt as if she should know him, but couldn't think of from where.  
"Thank you, good sir," she whispered. There was suddenly something in his eyes, a flicker of emotion, but then it was gone. "Who are you?" she asked, her eyes pleading for an answer. The man just smiled.  
"I'm someone who has come to offer you your dream, Galadrea. You can leave the tower, leave those spiteful fools, and that arrogant bastard of a father. All you need to do is give yourself into my service, and I can give you all the knowledge you desire. That's what you truly long for, isn't it? Knowledge of all things hidden?" As he spoke, he edged closer to her, until they were almost touching. Slowly, he brought his hand up to stroke her white-blonde hair. Flushed with pleasure that someone had recognized her worth, Galadrea couldn't respond.  
"All I've ever wanted was to know who I am, where I fit in...or if there IS a place for me to fit in," she murmured, tilting her head slightly to gaze up into his eyes. *Aren't you forgetting someone?* Shaking her head slightly, she lowered her eyes.  
"I can give you that place, my dear," Jareth murmured. "All you need to do is let go of your past. The here and now is where you belong. Specifically, here with me. What do you say?" Slowly, he tilted his head to hears, his lips at her ear. A shiver of pleasure ran down Galadrea's spine as his breath carressed her skin.  
*Let go of the past? What past is that? Think, Galadrea! Aren't you forgetting something? What of those who are depending on you!*  
*Shut up you. Always you get in my way! I'm never able to be myself when you are around. He's offering me all I ever wanted, acceptance and love. Besides, no one depends on me, I'm just an apprentice diviner who can't even finish simple research project. Who would WANT to depend on me? I wished my own brother away for Mystra's sake!*  
*Exactly! What about your brother?*  
*Brother? Omigod! INDROS!*  
_ "NO!" Galadrea shrieked, violently shoving the Goblin King away from her. "You arrogant ass! How dare you!" Stumbling backwards, Galadrea bumped into one of the mirrors. Spinning around, she noticed that the mirrors had formed a circle around her, and in each one of them was a different Galadrea, but all of them wore the robes of an archmage.  
"What's wrong, my dear?" Jareth said, all kindness gone from his voice, replaced by a taunting smugness. "Don't you like what I'm offering you?"  
"Not at that price!" she said, and turning around, Galadrea rammed her fist into the mirror. Suddenly, the world around her shattered. Blazing light reflected off thousands of tiny fragments, each amplifying the light. A groan from behind her let her know that even the Goblin King was affected by the sudden rush of light. At that groan, the rest of the white void shattered.  


* * * * * * * * * * * *

  
The chime of a clock brought Galadrea back to her senses. As she opened her eyes, she found herself standing in a room that made no sense. Stairs and openings were scattered on all the geometric planes. Her mind swam with the sudden change of scenery. Looking down, she nearly lost what was left of the food in her stomach. As the chime sounded a second time, Galadrea started moving towards the nearest staircase. "INDROS! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" she shouted, her voice refusing to echo. It fell dead, as if there was nothing to carry it. As the clock struck twice more, she heard a longed for, answering voice.  
"GALA? WHERE ARE YOU?" Indros's voice came from up above her. Looking up, Galadrea was horrified to see her brother standing on what looked to be a wall. Waving her arm, she caught his attention. A look of horror came over his face. "GALA! BEHIND YOU!"  
Before she could spin around, Galadrea felt a pair of strong hands fasten on her arms. A cold voice came with it, yet it was oddly traced with amusement. "You'll never make it you know? The clock has just finished chimine 9 times. It would take you nine times that to find each other."  
"The test was never to find each other, Jareth, it was for me to find my way through the labyrinth to this castle!" Galadrea replied, trying unsucessfully to move away from the Goblin King's addictive prescence. Slowly, Jareth spun Galadrea to face him.   
"I don't like to lose, pretty one," he replied. Two strongwilled gazes met, and a staring contest began as the clock chimed an eleventh time. Neither noticed that Indros was actually managing to navigate his way towards them. "Galadrea, please, join me! I will teach you magic such as you have never seen. Your brother too, if he wishes. Not since Sarah has anyone managed to solve the labyrinth, or caused me so much irritation. The two of you make life interesting. Please?" Jareth pleaded, his voice falling to the barest whisper. The clock chimed for the twelth time. Just as it did, Indros made it to the pair.  
Smiling sadly, Galadrea back up and draped an arm over her little brother's shoulder. "Good bye, Jareth. I am truly sorry for the mess we made, but we can't stay. It's time for us to go," she said. "Come on, bro. Let's get back to the tower, eh?"  
"Sure thing, Gala. By J! I had fun." Indros and Galadrea turned their backs on the stunned Goblin King, and as the clock chimed for the thirteenth time, Galadrea and Indros Solardin vanished. Neither saw the final expression on Jareth's face.  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  


_EPILOGUE_  


"Galadrea Solardin, Indros Solardin, step forward!" came the ringing voice of Archmage Soldis. Flanking him on either side were the other two archmages that made up the triumvirate. Together, brother and sister approached the council.  
"Almost one day ago, a mistake was made. This mistake put not only the life of one apprentice in jeapordy, but also the well-being of one of the Tower's best students." Galadrea and Indros's faces both registered surprise. "However, that mistake was rectified, and the one who caused the mistake was put into a situation that could never have been predicted, a trial by fire, as it were of all she had learned." As Master Soldis took a deep breath, whispers and mutterings broke out from among the rest of the inhabitants of the tower.  
"SILENCE!" Master Soldis bellowed. "Galadrea Solardin, be aware that the council has monitored your activities since you went to reclaim your brother. Through each trial you came through with the ingenuity and goodsense that is vital for a true specialist in Divination. I seriously doubt that any of us could have done better. For this reason, it is the council's decision that you be given the status you have waited two years for. Journeyman Solardin, no longer apprentice, you are now accepted fully into the ranks of the Tower of Illumination."  
Cheers broke out among all assembled, as Galadrea stood there, stunned. Indros smirked and patted his sister on the back. "Told you it would work out, didn't I?" he whispered. Then, Master Talikor spoke.  
"Not only has Journeyman Solardin demonstrated the qualities of a diviner, but her brother, Indros Solardin has also shown a flare for the solving of riddles--and the causing of havoc," Master Talikor finished drily, to the amusement of all present. Indros merely blushed. "Now that this is all out of the way, and no one is getting expelled, LET'S EAT!" Archmage Talikor bellowed. As one, the students stampeded out of the meeting hall. The Archmages soon following by way of teleporting. Withing seconds, Galadrea and Indros were alone in the hall, face to face with the man that had turned his back on them and their mother years before.  
Holding their breaths, Indros and Galadrea prepared for the worst. Suddenly, to their amazement, he smiled. "My children, I am so proud of you!" he exclaimed, delight playing over his face. Gala and Indros could never have been more shocked. Reading the expression on their faces, Master Soldis smiled gently. "I am truly sorry, my children, but I could not afford to play favorites. I also regret leaving your mother." Sighing, his face dropped. "I was younger then, and it was one of the more stupid things I have done, and believe me, I have done a lot of stupid things. Perhaps, now we can make up for lost time?" he asked, gently and hopefully.  
Galadrea's face firmed. "Master Soldis," she began in a frosty voice, "I fully understand your reasons, though I do not agree with them. Indros, I am heading to my rooms to get some much needed rest. I hope you and your father can patch things up," and with that, she whirled and left the room. Indros sighed.  
"I'm sorry father. Gala's been through hell, mostly emotional. Give her time, I'm sure she'll come around," good-natured Indros counciled his father. With a sigh, Master Soldis looked after his daughter.  
"I hope you are right, my son. But I fear that the damage has already been done..."  


* * * 

  
Back in her new room, which was much more spacious than her old apprentice quarters, Galadrea sat herself at her mahogony desk and began to weep. "Bastard!" she muttered. "Do you honestly think you can make up for eighteen years of neglect with a few simple words, spoken only AFTER your daughter and son have risked their necks?" As she laid her head on her arms, she felt something brush the back of her neck. Horrified, she turned around in her chair, and tried to rise, only managing to stumble and entangle her legs in the chair. Looking down, her face paled, then went back to its normal shade just as quickly.   
There on the floor was her spellbook and her enspelled dagger, which she had left in the Jareth's labyrinth. Beside it was a single, white rose, bereft of thorns. Picking the items up, Gala slowly walked over to her window and looked out into the valley. Her eyes fastened on a white glint, which may have been nothing more than an errant wisp of mist, but somehow, Galadrea doubted it.  
_Thank's Jareth, for showing me I don't need him._  


To be continued?

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[Back to My Study for Tea?][1]

  


   [1]: My_Private_Chambers.html



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